OFFSTAGE: Miranda Lambert: From Cloud Nine to Vegas

(CMT Offstage keeps a 24/7 watch on everything that’s happening with country music artists behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.)

That’s where she is right now — cloud nine. But Miranda Lambert better book her cloud nine-to-Las Vegas flight soon because she is the leading ACM nominee this morning
. She’s up for practically every ACM award there is, and here’s what she told CMT.com right after the nominations were revealed. “I’m still on cloud nine from last ACMs. I had such an amazing time last year,” she said. “I set a goal for myself when I was 17 that I wanted to be nominated for entertainer of the year, and 10 years later, here I am. I know I have tons of work ahead of me to take a crown like that, and I love that because it puts the drive in me. I have my foot in the door in this category, and the fact that I’m nominated is amazing. I’ll keep working my butt off, and one day I’ll win it, hopefully.” What I love about Lambert, besides her music, is her attitude. Calling the EOTY award a “crown like that” and not being the slightest bit presumptuous that she will win it. It’s like she puts the feisty Miranda aside when the humble Miranda needs to take center stage.